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Bits ‘n bobs from Permissionless III

Here in the Blockworks newsroom, we’re often trying to divine the so-called vibe of the industry in this current moment. Specifically, attempting to suss out how people are feeling about the place in which crypto — as a technology, as a business sector, as a global culture of human beings — exists today. Sometimes it’s easier than not. 

Events like Permissionless III offer the chance to do some gumshoe vibe reporting, and as such, our reporters have been dispatched to figure out where people’s heads are at, what they find interesting, what’s motivating them, etc etc.

So what’s the deal? What’s jazzing people up?

For starters, the intersection of crypto and artificial intelligence continues to draw crowds:

Crypto is still very much macro, as they say, drawing some of the best minds in the industry to talk about where the industry and the technology collides with the rest of the world.

The vibes within the Solana ecosystem are feeling especially good, according to Lightspeed’s Jack Kubinec. As he wrote Friday morning: 

“For Solana founders I heard from, the plaudits feel good, especially given how some in crypto tabbed Solana a lost cause following FTX’s unraveling. But it’s also uncharted territory for Solana, which has always felt like a contrarian bet against the much-larger Ethereum. Today, Solana is much closer to Ethereum in key usage metrics, and professional investors seem to be taking a liking to SOL.”

Yep, feels like a vibe to me.

And let’s not forget the elephant — or the donkey in the room if you swing Democratic — in the room: politics and the upcoming presidential election. As Forward Guidance’s Casey Wagner wrote, the looming vote “has crept into almost every discussion, both on stage and on the expo floor.”

But does the US even matter? Jan van Eck, VanEck CEO, had this to say: “I don’t want to wax too philosophical here, but partially because the transparency of mobile phones, trust in US institutions has really gone down.”

Admittedly, I’m writing this before the event is officially over, and there’s a more tech-heavy scene report in the offing by 0xResearch’s Macauley Peterson. 

So what am I trying to say about the vibes here? I think it’s fair to say that crypto is alive and well, despite the tendency by some in the mainstream media to scratch out a tombstone every so often. 

It does feel like we’re standing beside the tollbooth at the crossroads just before the highway, but hey, that’s life. 

And now, on to the roundup:

— Michael McSweeney

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